Cost of living ,will some hobbies go ?

It's also similar to a theory I studied during my Social Science degree, about the media legitimising the state to enable the state to do things that were against the best interests of the population.
 
After writting a long rant I decided to shorten it in the interests of upsetting as few people as possible. As regards my Hobbies it will have no affect at all ( I already have everything I want) But generally it's going to have an impact on everyone to some degree. And now the bit that I've shortened ! It is my belief that everything that has happened is down to corrupt/ incompetent governments going back to to the 1980's when Thatcher sold off all our national companies, at this point it meant providing a service to the people was sent down the ladder and profit became the main goal, we now have an energy,transport,health ( very nearly) and council service that is way too expensive for the people it was supposed to help to use. I would rather trust the local junkie to look after my intrests that this bunch of scum ! With this in mind I now have enough free wood to last me through the winter and keep me and mine toasty warm and supplied with hot water and a few meals.
 
Last edited:
Most replies in this thread seem to be based on gas/electric petrol/diesel prices which makes me wonder how many of you go in the supermarket with the wife shopping .. something I have to admit I rarely do but the price of food has gone astronomic lately from what I saw last week ..
Personally I now try to limit my journeys out to only a couple of times a week rather than daily ,but even then cars still need maintaining ,the other day for instance a steering fluid pipe on the CRV corroded ,luckily I got it replaced by a Honda specialist next day .but it still cost £120 .. expect the unexpected is fine as long as you have spare cash .. luckily this time we did … for 5he first time in a very long time I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel ,not even a glimmer ,and am dreading it if truss gets in
 
BADGER.BRAD said:
After writting a long rant I decided to shorten it in the interests of upsetting as few people as possible. As regards my Hobbies it will have no affect at all ( I already have everything I want) But generally it's going to have an impact on everyone to some degree. And now the bit that I've shortened ! It is my belief that everything that has happened is down to corrupt/ incompetent governments going back to to the 1980's when Thatcher sold off all our national companies, at this point it meant providing a service to the people was sent down the ladder and profit became the main goal, we now have an energy,transport,health ( very nearly) and council service that is way too expensive for the people it was supposed to help to use. I would rather trust the local junkie to look after my intrests that this bunch of scum ! With this in mind I now have enough free wood to last me through the winter and keep me and mine toasty warm and supplied with hot water and a few meals.
Click to expand...

Though I agree about Thatcher & Co, I would say it is possible to privatise some services provided the regulation is tight enough or perhaps if they are competing in a real way but I don’t believe that was ever the intention — it was, and is, just asset stripping.
 
I do agree that food prices have shot up. Fortunately we don't buy a lot in supermarkets except cleaning materils, toilet roll etc. Most food is from local farm shops and farm butcher, and whilst they have had to increase prices, at least I know where the increases are going and thankfully can afford them for the foreseeable future. Flour prices are marginally higher at present though likely to go up more, but not so much as ready made bread, so we expect to be making more of our own. I'm going to start preserving the piles of fruit in my garden, and will shortly commence cheesemaking.
Thankfully our car is only 3.5 years old and so hopefully reliable; I sold the Discovery a couple of months ago in anticipation of these problems. I feel fairly well prepared but I think it just behooves us to stay aware of things, not be panicked but be as prepared as possible.
 
lindsay said:
I do agree that food prices have shot up. Fortunately we don't buy a lot in supermarkets except cleaning materils, toilet roll etc. Most food is from local farm shops and farm butcher, and whilst they have had to increase prices, at least I know where the increases are going and thankfully can afford them for the foreseeable future. Flour prices are marginally higher at present though likely to go up more, but not so much as ready made bread, so we expect to be making more of our own. I'm going to start preserving the piles of fruit in my garden, and will shortly commence cheesemaking.
Thankfully our car is only 3.5 years old and so hopefully reliable; I sold the Discovery a couple of months ago in anticipation of these problems. I feel fairly well prepared but I think it just behooves us to stay aware of things, not be panicked but be as prepared as possible.
Click to expand...
I do recall we discussed cheesemaking a few years ago! I’ve just mastered the natural rind cheese! If you need any help I’m here!
 

Attachments

  • C88C7AF0-76C1-4AC8-87A3-4036E336A600.jpeg
    C88C7AF0-76C1-4AC8-87A3-4036E336A600.jpeg
    123.9 KB · Views: 8
lindsay said:
I do agree that food prices have shot up. Fortunately we don't buy a lot in supermarkets except cleaning materils, toilet roll etc. Most food is from local farm shops and farm butcher, and whilst they have had to increase prices, at least I know where the increases are going and thankfully can afford them for the foreseeable future. Flour prices are marginally higher at present though likely to go up more, but not so much as ready made bread, so we expect to be making more of our own. I'm going to start preserving the piles of fruit in my garden, and will shortly commence cheesemaking.
Thankfully our car is only 3.5 years old and so hopefully reliable; I sold the Discovery a couple of months ago in anticipation of these problems. I feel fairly well prepared but I think it just behooves us to stay aware of things, not be panicked but be as prepared as possible.
Click to expand...

I find making home made bread quite a relaxing task too :)
 
I don't think any of my hobbies will go. I have virtually everything I need right now so the biggest cost involved is any upgrades.

Running costs is mainly just fuel costs/ parking to go places but I/we try to make a day of those things to make it a little more value for money! The sub 20mpg Escort is a little more costly to drive but for how often it's actually used it's not a big issue.
 
Our 2 ( MK's) local MP's are conservative, and very much "yes men"
They are "searching" for the best local cafe'
In the editorial they are stood there like a pair of idiots, totally avoiding any real issues for the area.
I'm reminded of the Phrase "fiddling while Rome burns.
Follow the LINK at your peril !
 
Cobra said:
Our 2 ( MK's) local MP's are conservative, and very much "yes men"
They are "searching" for the best local cafe'
In the editorial they are stood there like a pair of idiots, totally avoiding any real issues for the area.
I'm reminded of the Phrase "fiddling while Rome burns.
Follow the LINK at your peril !
Click to expand...
At least they will know who their new leader is before the Best Cafe winner is announced. :LOL:
 
Cobra said:
Our 2 ( MK's) local MP's are conservative, and very much "yes men"
They are "searching" for the best local cafe'
In the editorial they are stood there like a pair of idiots, totally avoiding any real issues for the area.
I'm reminded of the Phrase "fiddling while Rome burns.
Follow the LINK at your peril !
Click to expand...
Probably best if they stick to that :(.
 
sphexx said:
Probably best if they stick to that :(.
Click to expand...
Maybe they are worried about the up coming new leadership and are considering, a job at Costa or some such.
 
If we buy a new kettle will I be able to afford a new camera as well .. that is this weeks poser question ???
 
At a slight though relevant tangent......

We were chatting with one of our neighbours a few days ago.

She saying about when (some) women are being interviewed on TV, about their lack of money to both "eat & heat", how well manicured their nails are and their hair oh so nicely cut. That, how can they afford the £50 per month or likely much more for those services if they have so little money for keeping themselves & family fed & warm???

Shades of similar before the crisis when you could see in the background a bigger TV than many can justify with Sky showing etc. = significant outgoings that might be classed as more luxury than necessity!

Granted there are & will be many genuinely struggling folk but wonder how many who are 'vox pop' complaining are blind to how much they waste and could possibly be more budget conscious than they are now!
 
Box Brownie said:
At a slight though relevant tangent......

We were chatting with one of our neighbours a few days ago.

She saying about when (some) women are being interviewed on TV, about their lack of money to both "eat & heat", how well manicured their nails are and their hair oh so nicely cut. That, how can they afford the £50 per month or likely much more for those services if they have so little money for keeping themselves & family fed & warm???

Shades of similar before the crisis when you could see in the background a bigger TV than many can justify with Sky showing etc. = significant outgoings that might be classed as more luxury than necessity!

Granted there are & will be many genuinely struggling folk but wonder how many who are 'vox pop' complaining are blind to how much they waste and could possibly be more budget conscious than they are now!
Click to expand...
Risky snap judgements! Maybe they work as manicurists or do each other’s hair & nails.
 
sphexx said:
Risky snap judgements! Maybe they work as manicurists or do each other’s hair & nails.
Click to expand...
Yes there are undoubtedly some for whom the costs of pampering will be zero?

She may be opinionated but such is her view of the world........and as equally valid as others. As in all debatable matters all shades of opinion will exist.
 
Box Brownie said:
Yes there are undoubtedly some for whom the costs of pampering will be zero?

She may be opinionated but such is her view of the world........and as equally valid as others. As in all debatable matters all shades of opinion will exist.
Click to expand...

The “big tv“ comment has been popular for many years but of course people may have bought their TVs et when in work and flush. I do think the newly poor don’t have a clause about living cheaply for food at any rate, fuel is a bit more tricky these days.
 
Box Brownie said:
At a slight though relevant tangent......

We were chatting with one of our neighbours a few days ago.

She saying about when (some) women are being interviewed on TV, about their lack of money to both "eat & heat", how well manicured their nails are and their hair oh so nicely cut. That, how can they afford the £50 per month or likely much more for those services if they have so little money for keeping themselves & family fed & warm???

Shades of similar before the crisis when you could see in the background a bigger TV than many can justify with Sky showing etc. = significant outgoings that might be classed as more luxury than necessity!

Granted there are & will be many genuinely struggling folk but wonder how many who are 'vox pop' complaining are blind to how much they waste and could possibly be more budget conscious than they are now!
Click to expand...

People don't buy televisions on a monthly basis though.
 
sphexx said:
The “big tv“ comment has been popular for many years but of course people may have bought their TVs et when in work and flush. I do think the newly poor don’t have a clause about living cheaply for food at any rate, fuel is a bit more tricky these days.
Click to expand...

KitsuneAndy said:
People don't buy televisions on a monthly basis though.
Click to expand...

Sorry I trotted out the big TV comment as you are both correct.....ours in today's terms is a modest 42inch Panny plasma and is now well over 10 years old. NB via our PVR box of similar age we can watch the terrestrial HD channels so pleased about that :)

Having said that, I also mentioned Sky TV and that AFAIK is a monthly paid service at a considerable amount, when looked at in 'eat & heat' terms especially when added to the TV Licence. Thus, Sky to me is a luxury i could not justify even when I was working......let alone....just how many channels can any one family watch ;)
 
Last edited:
Marc said:
Indeed and they're not exactly a decadent purchase these days. You can pick up a 50" smart tv from around £300 new.
Click to expand...
All down to the specifications, just like our cameras ;)

PS the price you mention pales into budget worthy compared to what I think our Panny cost back then by comparison :thinking: . No doubt when it does need replacing the new one will have more 'bang per buck' :)
 
Box Brownie said:
Sorry I trotted out the big TV comment as you are both correct.....ours in today's terms is a modest 42inch Panny plasma and is now well over 10 years old. NB via our PVR box of similar age we can watch the terrestrial HD channels so pleased about that :)

Having said that, I also mentioned Sky TV and that AFAIK is a monthly paid service at a considerable amount, when looked at in 'eat & heat' terms especially when added to the TV Licence. Thus, Sky to me is a luxury i could not justify even when I was working......let alone....just how many channels can any one family watch ;)
Click to expand...

I'm quite sure many people pay for their TV's monthly though via finance or on the credit card, especially the big ones costing thousands.
 
The mrs has been talking tonight about us only having the fire on in the living room this winter ,rather than heating the whole house , wearing thicker jumpers and layering clothing … THINK ?? She was only joking when she mentioned a corrugated wash board and a mangle though . But who knows LOL
 
Sod's law and this winter will be colder than normal, was telling my daughter earlier how we used to have frost on the inside of the windows when we were kids. She was not impressed, sadly I there will be some horror stories come winter.
 
the black fox said:
The mrs has been talking tonight about us only having the fire on in the living room this winter ,rather than heating the whole house , wearing thicker jumpers and layering clothing … THINK ?? She was only joking when she mentioned a corrugated wash board and a mangle though . But who knows LOL
Click to expand...
I'm only going to be heating the living room to 18c, dining room to 16c this winter.
Going to get a multi fuel burner but don't know if that will be in time for winter.
 
No way are we sitting in a cold house this winter or not eating properly
We don't lead an extravagant life and would rather spend our money on home comforts.
Don't want to holiday on the third moon of Jupiter or drive about in a w****r panzer.
If we spend some savings so be it, like many others saved a few quid over the Covid years.

It is genuinely sad that some people are going to have a torrid time through no fault of their own.
Others make choices and that's down to them to decide what their priorities are.
A couple of traumatic experiences have shown me life is too short to not make the best of it.
 
Box Brownie said:
Sorry I trotted out the big TV comment as you are both correct.....ours in today's terms is a modest 42inch Panny plasma and is now well over 10 years old. NB via our PVR box of similar age we can watch the terrestrial HD channels so pleased about that :)

Having said that, I also mentioned Sky TV and that AFAIK is a monthly paid service at a considerable amount, when looked at in 'eat & heat' terms especially when added to the TV Licence. Thus, Sky to me is a luxury i could not justify even when I was working......let alone....just how many channels can any one family watch ;)
Click to expand...

Sky etc can be expensive, that's true, certainly would be something I'd look at cutting out if I was struggling (don't have it anyway, just have a netflix subscription and no TV licence). But need fast internet to work from home, and not sure how much extra TV would cost on it.

Of course some people may be stuck in contracts. But yeah, I don't understand the need for it, not had a tv licence for 10 years now.
 
We just have the basic Sky package. Not sure what the cost is tbh. Don't watch much TV so its mainly for Internet. I have just stopped my Amazon music unlimited subscription - not through desperate measures, I just don't use it as much anymore.
 
Some hobbies won't be cut down or put on hold, like reading, specially if you already got plenty of books.

Some hobbies may need to eased back, because of running costs. I guess as an example, woodworking, like when you need to stop using power tools because they use electricity, and stick with manual tools.

Some hobbies may need to be put on hold, maybe some use a lot of electricity or heating, or high costs of fuel because of the amount of travelling needed.

I guess we should be thankful that for both professionals (working photographers) and amateurs (those that do photography for a hobby) we are using digital cameras. Of course, there's the high costs of using electricity for charging up your camera's batteries, but at least it could be a bit cheaper.

I mean, just image if we were still using film, along with developing and printing. Heating: Didn't we have to use hot water in order to have the film developer at a suitable temperature? Water: Remember those days of big water tank with running cold water, to wash traces of developer and fixer off the prints? Electricity: And anyone remembered not waiting for the prints to air dry, so you use those big heated rolling drying machine to dry your prints?

Film was expensive, but I wonder how much would it have costs right now if it was still in general use, like assuming a world without digital cameras in the 2020s.
 
the black fox said:
Looking through Facebook market place I’m starting to notice a huge increase in tropical fish tanks for sale , these obviously have to be kept heated and cost a fair bit to run under normal circumstances , so just wondering if the cost of living is causing hobbyists to sell up …

And if that’s the fact what other hobbies will suffer along the way , I already know personally that I have cut my travelling around to save on diesel costs . But there must be lots of other hobbies / sports that are going to be effected along the way . Todays expected price cap news is only going to accelerate things Shop prices for items will have to increase further to pay for there bills wonder if this will impact our hobby to ? We in the u.k can’t even buy cheaply from abroad any longer so is there a alternative ?
Click to expand...
I used to keep coral and marine fish. That is going back about 15 years and pre LED lighting and the better powerheads they have now. I think I worked out back then it was 40 quid a month in electricity and the unit cost was around 9p. I always though I would build a fish house when I retired and try and recoup the cost by cultivating coral and breeding fish. No chance I would do it now.

My photography hobby and my football supporting hobby have changed. I now try and earn with my camera and as work is most the weekend that saves paying to go to away games. I get the odd one when I am pointing a lens at the team I support. I have kept my season ticket and teh one for my daughter but it is harder and harder to justify. I have been very lucky in some ways. A job since 17 and married to someone who works too. We both have a decent income and have savings as we inherited money from parents. A small mortgage too, an occasional foreign holiday, don't smoke or drink and no designer clothes etc. We only just get by without going into savings and that is with very second hand cars and paying attention to gas and electricity. I hate to think how hard it is for most families particularly those with young kids. The new Hobbie will be cuddling together for heat and seeing how long you can sook a cough sweetie.
 
lindsay said:
We each have choices to make during the hard times. Some, the hardest hit, may have to give up a hobby, sell the gear, to survive, although I do think that is a panic reaction triggered by media scare stories. Others may just have to forego trips away to get to nice locations and have to dig out the aesthetic value of nearer locations, or even go to macro and studio type togging. I think a sense of proportion is needed.
There is no doubt that the media and govt together have created a perfect storm of economic crises and blown them into a nationwide panic. However, oil prices have been slowly coming down as therefore has fuel (my cheapest local diesel is now £1.79.9), the predictions for gas prices wholesale have dropped a bit from the peak alarmist estimates, and the pressure to reach a more mutually beneficial agreement with the EU on trade etc is growing daily despite (or because of) the clarion calls from Truss to the loony right to support her. So I don't think the medium to long term will be nearly as bad as they would have us believe.
Click to expand...
The cost of living crisis is being underplayed by the media. Yes fuel is a bit cheaper but wages against CPI are at decade low levels and far worse is to come. Councils and churches are pairing with other local organisations to provide a network of heat banks. The working poor is growing in number dramatically and the media are under reporting the issues people are facing. The panic is very real and is being masked with debt(up £62.5 Billion in the last year) under a shadow of rising interest rates. We are nowhere near the end of the race to the bottom but many families face a living hell on a daily basis with only further despair on the horizon. I presume you are very much a glass more than full person and I hope your unbelievably optimistic view is more accurate than mine.
 
I don't doubt a lot of what you say Simon is true, but for instance most of the CPI increase is built on the increased prices of fuel and gas/utilities, which are not all permanent; wages need to increase, but perhaps not to the same extent. Of course a good part is also the cost of food, which has been aggravated by several major factors, but I do believe that the media like to create a story which then feeds on itself - look at all the fuel shortage panics and the toilet roll fioasco in the first lockdown. They choose people who are struggling and make out that it's commonplace. I live in a low-wage area, most people working 12 hour shifts in distribution warehouses and doing delivery or other zero-hours jobs to supplement their minimum wages. I don't see any reduction in the number of people shopping at the outlet centre near me, in fact it is really busy 7 days a week now, and I also see a lot of high-end cars (on lease/PCP deals no doubt) and no reduction of those lately; on the other hand there seems to be an increase in the use of cash for big purchases and luxuries (according to some shop assistants I've spoken to), so I think there must be an increasing use of the black economy to make up for the cost of living issues.
 
lindsay said:
I don't doubt a lot of what you say Simon is true, but for instance most of the CPI increase is built on the increased prices of fuel and gas/utilities, which are not all permanent; wages need to increase, but perhaps not to the same extent. Of course a good part is also the cost of food, which has been aggravated by several major factors, but I do believe that the media like to create a story which then feeds on itself - look at all the fuel shortage panics and the toilet roll fioasco in the first lockdown. They choose people who are struggling and make out that it's commonplace. I live in a low-wage area, most people working 12 hour shifts in distribution warehouses and doing delivery or other zero-hours jobs to supplement their minimum wages. I don't see any reduction in the number of people shopping at the outlet centre near me, in fact it is really busy 7 days a week now, and I also see a lot of high-end cars (on lease/PCP deals no doubt) and no reduction of those lately; on the other hand there seems to be an increase in the use of cash for big purchases and luxuries (according to some shop assistants I've spoken to), so I think there must be an increasing use of the black economy to make up for the cost of living issues.
Click to expand...
Good point regarding the black economy. We will be cashless before long to control us more.

Some of that was like a written version of Benefits Street. They are working 12 hour shifts and doing second jobs is what struct me most. Cant be much time for the retail park after that. Perhaps the retail Park is busier because people are keeping warm and also it takes time to find a good deal. As I said in another post consumer debt has risen by 62.5 Billion quid in the last year. That is over 2K per adult in a year. Sometimes when there is nothing left in the bank and bankruptcy looms the best tactic is to buy as much on credit as possible and get that stored away so it is there when the inevitable happens.
 
I can only describe what I've seen and been told first hand. I can't explain how so much shopping takes place (admittedly mostly Primark, Zara, Next) at the same time as so much minimum wage/zero-hours employment, but that is what I see going on around me here. Clearly people with trades are milking the plentiful work with cash jobs, and the ones working all hours are I guess the ones not shopping. I do know of a number of tradesmen's wives who shop till they drop regularly whilst husbands are working 7 days a week. I guess it's a society of two types of working class here, haves and have-nots, which exacerbates the social divisions.
 
wookie6262 said:
Good point regarding the black economy. We will be cashless before long to control us more.

Some of that was like a written version of Benefits Street. They are working 12 hour shifts and doing second jobs is what struct me most. Cant be much time for the retail park after that. Perhaps the retail Park is busier because people are keeping warm and also it takes time to find a good deal. As I said in another post consumer debt has risen by 62.5 Billion quid in the last year. That is over 2K per adult in a year. Sometimes when there is nothing left in the bank and bankruptcy looms the best tactic is to buy as much on credit as possible and get that stored away so it is there when the inevitable happens.
Click to expand...

I'm certainly not keen on this new digital currency thing, especially as I believe it is supposed to be programmable. I don't know very much about it other than snippets, but first impression is oh oh.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top